From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hamas school bus attack
Hamas school bus attack
Hamas school bus attack Army of Islam · Tawhid wal-Jihad
Abdullah Azzam Brigades
Rocket types
Mortar · Qassam · Al-Quds
Katyusha · Grad
Cities hit
Ashdod · Ashkelon · Beersheba
Gedera · Kiryat Gat · Kiryat Malakhi
Netivot · Sderot · Ofakim · Yavne
The attack site
Regional Council areas hit
Coordinates 31°28′12″N 34°31′40″E / 31.47°N
34.52778°E / 31.47; 34.52778 Hof Ashkelon
(Karmia · Netiv HaAsara
Date 7 April 2011
Yad Mordechai · Zikim)
Attack type Laser guided missile attack Eshkol
Weapon(s) Kornet anti-tank missile
(Nir Oz · Nirim · Yesha)
Sha’ar HaNegev
Death(s) 1 child (Kfar Aza · Nahal Oz · Nir Am)
Injured 1 Sdot Negev
(Alumim · Sa’ad)
Perpetrator(s) Al-Qassam Brigades Merhavim · Be’er Tuvia
Bnei Shimon
Palestinian rocket attacks
Settlements hit (evacuated)
on Israel
Atzmona · Dugit · Elei Sinai
Gadid · Ganei Tal · Katif
Kfar Darom · Morag
Netzarim · Netzer Hazani
Neve Dekalim · Nisanit
Rafiah Yam · Slav
Actions by Israel
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip
into Israel, December 2008. Civil defense in Israel
Red Color · Iron Dome · ZAKA
By year
Related topics
2001 · 2002–2006 · 2007
2008 · 2008 cease-fire Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Gaza War · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 Palestinian political violence
Palestinian suicide attacks
Groups responsible Palestinian animal bomb attacks
Fatah · Hamas · Islamic Jihad Lebanese rocket attacks on Israel
Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine The Hamas school bus attack was a 7 April 2011 incident
Democratic Front for the in which Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a
Liberation of Palestine Kornet laser-guided anti-tank missile over the border at
Popular Resistance Committees an Israeli school bus. Hamas militants claimed responsi-
Ansar al-Sunna · Force 17 bility.[1] The group had largely held its fire since the last
major Israeli offensive in Gaza,[2] but said the attack was
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hamas school bus attack
in retaliation for the killing of some of its leaders the pre-
vious week.[3][4]
The attack
Hamas said the bus was traveling a road often used by On 7 April 2011 a school bus belonging to the Sha’ar
Israeli military vehicles and it was not known at the time HaNegev Regional Council, painted with a bright yellow
of the attack that it carried schoolchildren.[5] Israel said color scheme to be easily recognizable as a vehicle trans-
the bus’ yellow color made it easily identifiable to whoev- porting school children, was dropping off students near
er had fired the missile and accused the group of "cross- their homes in their villages.
ing a line."[5] The missile hit the rear of the bus after all but one of
The missile hit the bus after all but one of the chil- the children had been dropped off at the kibbutz of Sa’ad,
dren had been dropped off at the kibbutz where they and the bus had travelled just 50 metres beyond its last
lived, and the bus had traveled just 50 metres beyond stop there.[6] The sole remaining passenger, Daniel Viflic,
its that last stop there.[6] The only remaining passenger, a 16-year-old yeshiva student from Beit Shemesh, was
a 16-year-old boy named Daniel Viflic, was critically in- critically injured by shrapnel which penetrated his brain.
jured with shrapnel wounds to the head and died from Viflic also suffered shrapnel wounds to head, neck and
his injuries on 17 April. The driver was lightly inju- body, and massive blood loss. He temporarily stopped
red.[7][8][9][10] breathing, which prevented oxygen from reaching his
Fears that the attack would lead to a second Gaza War brain. Viflic had been on the bus riding along with driver
did not materialize[1], but the incident was followed by Zion Yemini,[14] who was a family friend. The driver was
a several-day stretch of violence in which Palestinians lightly injured in the leg, and was able to pull the bus
launched over 100 projectiles at Israel in which no Is- over to the side of the road, where he carried Viflic out of
raelis were killed, and at least 20 Israeli strikes from its the vehicle.[7][8][9][10][6][8][9][10][15]
army, navy, and air force that left 19 dead and at least
45 wounded in Gaza by the time hostilities had
ceased.[3][11][12][13]
Reports varied widely as to how many of the Gazans
killed were civilians versus militants: Haaretz said just
two were civilians, AFP reported while the violence was
still ongoing that seven civilians were killed, and the BBC
just said that "many" were. The dead in Gaza included a
mother and her 21-year-old daughter, a policeman, and
a 10-year-old boy. [3][11][12][13] News agency Agence
France-Presse reported that the interval following the
bus attack included "the deadliest 24 hours of violence in
the Strip since the end of the Gaza war" two years previ-
ously.[13]
The attack on the school bus was condemned by the
United Nations, the United States, France, and the United
Kingdom, and multiple calls were issued for cessation of
the mutual hostilities that followed.
Background
Main article: Gaza–Israel conflict
Hamas had largely held its fire since the last major Israeli
offensive in Gaza,[2] in December, 2008,[3] but stated that
three of its leaders had been killed by Israel the previous
weekend,[4] 2–3 April 2011, and that the attack was a re-
taliation for those killings. In the 48 hours prior to the at-
tack, Palestinians had also fired a separate anti-tank mis- Viflic being resucitated by paramedics
sile at an Israeli target. Anti-tank missiles, unlike rock-
ets and mortars, are extremely accurate, and their use re- Paramedics arrived quickly and began resucitating
quires more skill.[6] Viflic. Hamas militants launched a mortar barrage timed
to coincide with the arrival of paramedics, and medics at-
tending to Viflic had to work under heavy mortar fire.
Mortar fire delayed Viflic’s evacuation. Viflic was air-
lifted in critical condition to Soroka Medical Center in
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hamas school bus attack
Beersheba, where he was placed in the pediatric inten- rocket fired at Ashkelon was intercepted by an Iron Dome
sive care unit. Shortly afterward, his brain stopped func- battery, marking the first successful interception of a
tioning. Following an initial brain scan, doctors conclud- short-range rocket in history.[7] Immediately afterward,
ed that Viflic had sustained a permanent brain injury. an Israeli aircraft fired at the militant squad that had
Doctors tried every treatment for cases of severe head launched the rocket, and confirmed a hit.
trauma such as medication, special respiratory therapy, The Israeli Air Force and Israeli Navy launched mis-
and attempts to lower his body temperature. Viflic re- sile attacks on targets in Gaza, while the Israeli Army
mained in a coma on life support, showing no evidence of attacked Gazan targets with artillery and tank fire.[11]
any brain activity.[16] His condition was upgraded to ex- News agency Agence France-Presse reported that the ef-
tremely critical on 12 April. Viflic died on 17 April, ten fect of Israel’s actions included "the deadliest 24 hours
days after the attack, as a result of a severe brain inju- of violence" in Gaza since the Gaza War had ended, two
ry.[17][7][6][7][18] years previously.[13] Israeli forces had conducted more
The military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility.[1] than 20 strikes by the following day. Palestinian militants
The group had largely held its fire since the last major Is- fired 6 rockets and 24 mortar shells at Israel. An Iron
raeli offensive in Gaza,[2] but said the attack was in retal- Dome battery intercepted three rockets fired at
iation for the killing of some of its leaders the previous Ashkelon; a fourth landed in an open field near the city.
week.[3][4] An Israeli aircraft fired at the Hamas cell that had
launched the rockets and scored a direct hit. Israeli air-
craft bombed two Palestinian militant cells east of Khan
Yunis as they fired mortars at Israel.[11] Palestinian casu-
alties stood at 14 dead and 45 wounded. At least five were
Hamas militants, and one was a policeman.[3] Among the
civilians reported killed in Gaza were a mother and her
21-year-old daughter. The Israeli military admitted that
civilians had been apparently harmed in its attacks, say-
ing that "Hamas chooses to operate from within civilian
populations and uses them as human shields".[3][11] .[13]
Palestinian rocket fire had seriously damaged chicken
coops and a factory, and damaged a residential structure
The school bus after the attack in a kibbutz in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council.
Concerns that this escalation might develop into a Se-
Because the Russian-made Kornet is an accurate, cond Gaza War did not materialize.[1]
laser-guided weapon, it appeared that the bus was inten-
tionally targeted.[1] Hamas said the bus was travelling a
road often used by Israeli military vehicles and it was not
Diplomatic reactions
known at the time of the attack that it carried school- • Israeli President Shimon Peres said to United
children.[5] Israel said the bus’ yellow color made it easily Nations Security Council ambassadors: "I was just
identifiable to whoever had fired the rocket, and accused informed that an Israeli bus carrying students from
the group of "crossing a line."[5] school was hit by a missile fired from Gaza. This is
The attackers were never apprehended. another example of how Gaza has turned into a
terror state. Can the United Nations guarantee that
Counterattack and escalation terrorist acts will not happen? None of you would
give up on the security of your country, and Israel
Fearing harsh Israeli retaliation, Palestinian militant or-
will also defend itself. Hundreds of thousands of
ganizations in the Gaza Strip declared a cease-fire as of
mothers and children in southern Israel cannot sleep
11 pm, which was ignored by Israel.[19] The Israeli Air
peacefully at night as a result of the rocket fire from
Force immediately bombed two smuggling tunnels in the
Gaza."[21]
northern Gaza Strip, injuring four people. Rocket and
Eshkol Regional Council official Haim Yellin said:
mortar fire from Gaza began a few hours later,[6] and at
"As soon as they fire on a children’s bus we say
least 45 additional Palestinian projectiles were fired in-
loudly: our children are not cannon fodder and
to Israel over a three-hour period. No one was killed,
they are not the hostages of any terrorist or terror
but residents were instructed to stay inside their homes,
organisation."[1]
children were ordered to stay inside schools, and police
sealed roads in the area for fear of additional at-
tacks.[7][20] One mortar shell damaged a home in the
Eshkol Regional Council, but caused no injuries.[7] A Grad
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hamas school bus attack
Supranational responsible for these terrorist attacks should be held
• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accountable. We are deeply concerned about reports
condemned the attack and urged Israel to act with that indicate the use of an advanced antitank
"maximum restraint."[13] weapon in an attack against civilians, and reiterate
• European Union official Catherine Ashton called for that all countries have obligations under relevant
a total cessation of violence between Gaza and Israel United Nations Security Council resolutions to
after the IDF carried out retaliatory strikes for the prevent illicit trafficking in arms and
school bus attack, saying she was "deeply concerned ammunition."[25]
by the current escalation of violence."[22]
International See also
• The French Foreign Ministry released a
• List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2011
statement saying: "France strongly condemns the
• Palestinian political violence
missile, rocket and mortar attacks against civilians
• Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
yesterday in southern Israel. In this regard, firing an
• Avivim school bus massacre
anti-tank missile at a school bus represents a new
• Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel
escalation. We call for an immediate halt to this
• Ramat Eshkol bus bombing
violence. France deplores the humanitarian
• Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing
consequences of Israeli military operations in the
Gaza Strip that came in response, resulting in several
civilian casualties. It is urgent to end the escalation References
of violence in the Gaza Strip. We call on all the [1] ^ School bus attack may spark Gaza war, The
parties to respect a lasting truce. These events Australian 9 April 2011
remind us, as if it were necessary, of the urgency of [2] ^ Israel strikes Hard in Gaza after school bus hit,
reaching a negotiated resolution to the conflict. [23] Associated Press via Yahoo News, 8 April 2011
• British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "I [3] ^ Gaza: Israel Kills 12 Amid Cross-border
unreservedly condemn today’s attack from Gaza on a Exchanges, BBC News, (as revised) 8 April 2011
bus carrying school children in southern Israel. The [4] ^ Hamas claims responsibility for missile strike on
initial reports we have received suggest the bus was bus that wounded boy, CNN 7 April 2011
deliberately targeted and that a 16-year-old boy has [5] ^ Hamas says didn’t mean to target Israeli school
been critically injured. This is a despicable and bus. Reuters. 9 April 2011
cowardly act that stands in stark contrast to people’s [6] ^ Teen critically injured in attack on Negev bus,
desire for peaceful reform across the region. Ynet Israel News 7 April 2011
Violence will never deliver peace. I reiterate that [7] ^ Anti-tank missile falls on Negev school bus,
Hamas must halt these strikes immediately, and rein injuring two, Jerusalem Post. 7 April 2011
in other militant factions in Gaza. This attack further [8] ^ IDF chief urges calm in south, Israel News 8 April
highlights Israel’s legitimate security concerns. As I 2011
have made clear, Israel has every right to protect its [9] ^ Israeli boy Daniel Viflic dies after rocket hits bus,
people.".[22] BBC News 18 April 2011
After the death of Viflic, Foreign Secretary Hague [10] ^ Condition of teen injured in Hamas bus attack
expressed his condolences to the family: "Daniel worsens, Jerusalem Post 12 April 2011
was just 16. The tragedy of his death is brought [11] ^ Iron Dome intercepts rockets fired at Ashkelon,
home all the more in that it occurs on the eve of Israel News 8 April 2011
Passover, normally a time of celebration for Jewish [12] ^ IDF refrains from response to Gaza rocket fire as
families all over the world. I would like to extend border violence cools, Haaretz. 11 April 2011
my deepest sympathies to Daniel’s family, and I [13] ^ 11 Palestinians die as Israeli planes, tanks hit
reiterate my utter abhorrence of the cowardly Gaza, AFP. National Post 10 April 2011)
attack which cost him his life, and my call for an [14] http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/
end to all such attacks on innocent civilians."[24] 0,7340,L-4056380,00.html
[15] Heroic bus driver says he always feared attack,
• A US State Department official said: "We
Jerusalem Post 11 April 2011
condemn the attack on innocent civilians in
[16] http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/
southern Israel in the strongest possible terms, and
0,7340,L-4055801,00.html
on-going rocket fire from Gaza. As we have
[17] http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/
reiterated many times, there is no justification for
0,7340,L-4058157,00.html
the targeting of innocent civilians, and those
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hamas school bus attack
[18] Israeli teen hit by rocket from Gaza dies, UPI 17 [23] Violence in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip (8
April 2011 April 2011), France Diplomatie
[19] http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/ [24] Hague expresses condolences to Viflic family,
0,7340,L-4053931,00.html Jerusalem Post 18 April 2011
[20] 3 more Kassams fired from Gaza; no injuries [25] US condemns anti-tank missile attack on school
reported, Jerusalem Post 7 April 2011 bus, Jerusalem Post 7 April 2011
[21] Peres: Bus attack shows Gaza turned into terror
state, Haaretz 7 April 2011
[22] ^ Ashton calls for a ’cessation of violence’ in Gaza,
External links
Jerusalem Post 8 April 2011 • Daniel Viflic, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hamas_school_bus_attack&oldid=458770670"
Categories:
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
• Terrorist incidents in Israel in 2011
• 2011 in the Palestinian territories
• Terrorist attacks attributed to Palestinian militant groups
• Murdered Israeli children
• Hamas
• Attacks on buses by Palestinian militant groups
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